2 Malian soldiers killed in attack in southern Mali

BAMAKO, Mali — A Malian military vehicle struck a roadside bomb in the south, killing two soldiers and wounding three others Sunday, a spokesman said.

The attack in the Segou region comes about a month after a masked gunman opened fire inside a popular bar and restaurant in the capital, leaving five people dead.

The spike in violence has been particularly alarming for Malians as the recent attacks have occurred far from the northern towns of Gao, Kidal and Timbuktu that were under the control of jihadis for about a year until early 2013.

Col. Souleymane Maiga said the attack took place Sunday in Mali's Segou region between Niono and Diabaly.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility though suspicion fell on an armed group that is aligned with the Islamic militants from the Timbuktu area in the north.

A French-led military offensive forced jihadi groups from power in early 2013, and remnants of those groups have been blamed for scores of attacks against Malian soldiers and U.N. peacekeepers. In recent weeks, though, the violence has targeted the south, including the capital.